Attorneys representing the 271 dismissed workers in the Vaccine Mandate case have filed legal documents seeking leave from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal to take their case to His Majesty’s Privy Council. The request follows a majority ruling delivered by the Court of Appeal on February 12, 2025, which overturned a landmark decision by Justice Esco L. Henry in 2023.
On March 13, 2023, Justice Henry declared the government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public workers unlawful, unconstitutional, and procedurally flawed. He ruled that the mandate, which required workers to be vaccinated or face dismissal and loss of benefits, including salary, pension, and gratuity, was disproportionate and illegal.
However, the Court of Appeal, in a majority ruling by Justice Eddy Ventose, sided with the government, allowing its appeal against the initial decision. In response, the S.V.G. Teachers’ Union, the Public Service Union, and the Police Welfare Association, representing the dismissed workers, have decided to seek further recourse by appealing to the Privy Council.
The legal battle over the vaccine mandate continues to draw significant attention as both sides prepare for the next stage in the judicial process.
